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BUSCH: Nazareth: Kenny Wallace race notes

Race Recap: The No. 23 Stacker 2/YJ Stinger team is on a roll. Four top-10 finishes in the last five races have given the team the confidence it needs to be a contender for the win each week. With its early-season bad luck behind them, the Stacker ...

Edited: Apr 16, 2008, 12:40 AM

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Race Recap: The No. 23 Stacker 2/YJ Stinger team is on a roll. Four top-10 finishes in the last five races have given the team the confidence it needs to be a contender for the win each week. With its early-season bad luck behind them, the Stacker 2/YJ Stinger team is ready for what lies ahead.

Kenny Wallace and the Stacker 2/YJ Stinger team went to Nazareth with one goal in mind: winning. Wallace won the last Busch Series race ever held at the famed Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and he was hoping to repeat that feat in Nazareth's final Busch Series event.

The Bill Davis Racing team was fast even in the early practice sessions. Wallace reported to crew chief Chris Rice that the car handled a bit loose into the corners. Rice made some minor adjustments to help correct the problem. Knowing the car would be impounded after qualifying, the Stacker2 2/YJ Stinger team elected to focus on race runs instead of qualifying runs. When the lone practice session ended, the No. 23 Chevy was the third fastest car with a time of 27.812 seconds. The team looked forward to qualifying, as the car could certainly win the pole.

Wallace received a late draw and was the 28th driver to attempt to qualify. The faster cars in practice gained some speed during qualifying, so the Stacker 2 team hoped the same would happen to the No. 23. Wallace's time of 27.597 seconds put him in the seventh position for the Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200.

"I felt that my second lap had the pole," Wallace said. "I got through the dogleg very well and drove the car deep into turn one. I am so proud of my boys. They all work so hard every week to make this car fast and it is starting to pay off."

When the green flag dropped over Nazareth Speedway on Sunday afternoon, Wallace and the Stacker 2/YJ Stinger team began working to get to the front. On lap 11, Wallace said the car handled a little tight going into the fourth turn. Rice responded by saying the team would fix the car during the first pit stop.

By lap 20, Wallace fell to ninth and said the car's handling was now loose. He maintained the ninth position through the next 50 laps.

The caution flew for the first time on lap 71. Wallace came to pit road on lap 74 for four tires and fuel. The team also made a track bar adjustment to help the balance of the racecar. Wallace was blocked into his pit stall by the No. 4 car, prolonging his pit stop. Wallace restarted 16th on lap 78 and knew he had his work cut out for him if he was going to get back into the top 10.

By lap 90, Wallace had jumped into the 14th position. He reported four laps later that the crew's adjustments worked, but the car still handled a bit tight. Almost thirty laps later, Wallace battled Paul Menard for 12th. Their battle lasted another 30 laps but was halted by a caution. Wallace brought the car to the attention of the Stacker 2 crew on lap 147. The team gave the car four tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment.

Wallace restarted 13th on lap 151. He moved into the top 10 on lap 170 and never looked back. Wallace consistently had the fastest car on the track during the race's closing laps and was working his way through traffic in hopes of getting into the top five. He could only manage to gain one more position and finished ninth.

"What a day," Wallace said. "We get blocked in our pits twice and still manage to finish in the top 10. That just goes to show you that I have the best team in the business. We never give up and work hard to make the best of every situation. I am really looking forward to going to Charlotte and getting Bill Davis his first win of 2004."

NEXT EVENT: The No. 23 Stacker 2/YJ Stinger team will be racing close to home this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The team is looking forward to this race because it is an opportunity for family and friends to see what they do for a living. The race will be broadcast live Saturday, May 29 on FX and PRN.

-bdr-

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